Paganism Returns to the Holy Land

Paganism, including the pagan beliefs of the child-sacrificing Canaanites, have returned to the Holy Land, according to the Israeli website www.haaretz.com.

A tiny community of pagan believers, influenced by pagan movements in the United States and Europe, has developed in Israel. One pagan soldier, in fact, took time out to pray to three ancient gods to whom he has sworn allegiance. He also says they appeared to him and gave him strength during combat.

Alon Kobets, a self-proclaimed neo-pagan who has come out of the closet, said some pagans have even tried to revive some Canaanite gods and traditions (which, if you recall, the Bible says demanded child sacrifice), but Kobets said more people believe in Wicca, Celtic Druidism, Shamanism, and Indian religions.

And, how does one choose which gods to worship?

“Nobody invents new gods,” Kobets said. “People read mythology and try to make contact with and talk to some god or goddess.”

“At the moment paganism is not a large-scale practice here, but I believe it has very big potential,” says Dr. Marianna Rush-Midbar of the University of Haifa.